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A picnic with a difference Taste of Helsinki dominates the beating heart of the city over four days in June. The restaurant festival focuses on the city’s gourmet food and wine culture, bringing some of the best Finnish restaurants and chefs to the table. By Malin Norman | Photos: Taste of Helsinki
For the sixth time, Taste of Helsinki will take its visitors on a journey of exploration through the city’s flavours, serving up some of the best food in the country. The gourmet picnic brings together ten fabulous restaurants, seven from Helsinki and three from other cities including abroad. The festival was established in 2012 by Barry and Mira MacNamara. Having been inspired by Taste of Dublin and its good food, wine and company, they wanted to create a similar event in Helsinki. “We 56 | Issue 99 | April 2017
were very lucky with the weather during that first year, and everyone had an amazing time,” says Barry MacNamara of the premiere. “Finns love traditions, and it’s great to see people coming back year after year. We believe passionately that the event can promote Finnish gastronomy, and each year we try to raise the bar and improve the visitor experience.”
Ten of the best Around 9,000 foodies come to the event every year. The four days have separate sittings for lunch and dinner, each with
a capacity for 2,500 people. The restaurants prepare a gourmet menu with four dishes, representing their food and culinary philosophy. MacNamara explains the concept: “Our guests come for dinner and get everything expected from a gourmet meal. But here they can create their own tasting menu from the participating restaurants and match with drinks from our beverage partners.” This year’s restaurants include Grön from Helsinki, named best restaurant in Finland under the guidance of chef Toni Kostian. Another Helsinki classic is Savoy, dating back to 1937, with its renowned cuisine and spectacular views over the Helsinki rooftops, run today by chef Kari Aihinen. One of the international restaurants present is Noa from Tallinn,